The star enters the online meeting and at once begins an apology. “Apologies for the delay!” she says, seeming truly regretful. She is only a bit behind, she feels compelled to explain. “I have such a problem, because I’m a yapper on the phone. “Earlier calls made me late—I just can’t stop chatting!” Luckily, during an interview, this is exactly what is ideal to experience. Besides, it’s quite expected. Anyone who know her unapologetically LGBTQ+ and outspoken movie Bottoms—that Sennott co-wrote with the director and appeared in with collaborator The Bear’s standout—will be aware that Sennott has plenty to discuss, ranging from on identity, relationships, or the merits of starting a teen brawl society. Furthermore, once you finish her new seasonal HBO series I Love LA, it becomes obvious that she has further thoughts regarding the darker side of Gen Z life (At 30, she is an honorary member for this generation, straddling eras adept for bridging different age groups).
Influences and Artistic Direction
The comparisons to Lena Dunham’s groundbreaking show naturally arise and the actress admits to being a fan, naming it together with Sex and the City, Issa Rae’s show and Donald Glover’s series as guides for the project, which follows the journey of a social media star played by Odessa A’Zion and close companion who is also aspiring representative portrayed by Sennott. However, the biggest spot on creative vision went to the HBO series, that show focusing on an emerging celebrity making his way in a gritty LA scene (notable statement: “happiness eludes everyone but failures in this city”). Sennott discovered it throughout COVID-19, became “obsessed”, and decided to put her own twist on it “targeting women and LGBTQ+ viewers”.
“I wanted to make a show where the internet, not Hollywood, was the industry, because my career started online,” she explains. The idea for the series originated—in part—from personal, initially rocky, transition to Los Angeles and from the saturn return, a popular occurrence for astrology heads. This represented a phase that included her learn significant truths, in her career and individually. “In my early 20s I was so messy, crying in public everywhere, all the time,” she admits. “In my mid-20s, I moved to LA and got settled. And then I felt like everything started to just fall apart. It was almost like these biblical tests …”
Early Beginnings
Growing up in New England, the star started creating and acting humor while enrolled in theatre at NYU’s Tisch. “I followed traditional paths to get on stage, but nothing clicked,” she says. “I tried out for all the NYU comedy groups, and got rejected from all of them. “None of the university plays cast me either.” “It left me questioning my purpose and place.”
Sennott took matters into her own hands, performing at open mics with Edebiri and uploading hilarious (and very) unconventional comedy videos digitally. A particular video, Baby Cult, depicted several females intensely drawn to having babies; another imagined being employed at the preppy clothing store Hollister as similar to being trapped in a thriller. In a neat twist of fate, she met Seligman through NYU’s movie community and ultimately starring in her directorial debut, Shiva Baby, a stressful comedy set at a religious event with shades of the intense thriller. The big theme of her journey, she says, has been people her own age offering opportunities, instead of the industry at large. Does that mean bypassing the usual powers? “They were not involved”, she confirms, adding with a laugh: “Our victory isn’t their goal.”
Rising Success
Those who were skeptical regarding Sennott earlier will surely be kicking themselves today. Through she calls a “wild, full-circle” turn of events, she has achieved the perfect project. A few years back she shared content titled “it’s LA” on social media, in which she parodied film promos (“Substance abuse is rampant here”). Now, she’s a lead creator (with the co-writer) of a show about city dwellers balancing advantages of digital stardom (such as socializing at Elijah Wood’s house) with drawbacks (your associate being accused of being a substance-abusing stealer, and potentially becoming a unreliable persona non grata). Some could easy to create a series about online fame that was horribly idealized—or, worse, one that punched down at those depicted. This show steers clear of each, making for a depiction of advantaged twentysomething living that’s candid about the grot and the glamour.
Balanced Perspective
“Numerous series present younger generations and digital culture in a derogatory manner,” she says. “I think that young people have been through a lot – I’m mostly thinking of people younger than me, like my little sister, who went to college during Covid, so she had to come home, or my other sister who was doing school online.”|“The younger generation has faced significant
